Wasted
by tjbaby
Summary: Elizabeth takes the steps to not wasting her life away.


Title: Wasted  
Rated: PG 13  
Summary: Eliabeth doesn't want to spend her life missing all the moments she could have with Jack and have a wasted life.  
Pairings: Will/Elizabeth, Jack/Elizabeth  
Warning: Minor character death, Memories, Morose Characters  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney does, no money being made off this.  
A/N: Oneshot

Elizabeth stepped quietly into the kitchen of the manor. If anyone saw her now, they would think it rather odd. She was dressed in a pair of gentlemen's trousers, the master's actually; a long billowy white shirt that she had found in the attic and a frock coat that some guest had left at one of their many soirees. Her stocking feet made little noise as she disappeared in the butler's pantry, retrieving her boots that had been especially made for her.

She slipped out the back door, stopped and put on her boots then walked gently down the side of the house. Years of practicing made walking quietly an easy task. Her fingers trailed along the side of the house that she had once dared to call home.

At the gate, she turned back to look at the house that held her all these years. Large, looming with many wings, it never had any wings that made her fly. The dark wood seemed foreboding, the many windows tiny and often hid the view that she longed for. She sighed as her thoughts crashed in on her.

_"How many times do we have to do this Elizabeth?" _

_"I don't know Will. Just how many times are you going to insist that I forget about him? About both of them? I can't you know. You can't either. I know it!" _

_" Elizabeth…I can't forget him, but we have to move on. You visit him everyday! Why can't you accept that he will never come back?" _

_"I won't Will!" _

_"He died Elizabeth! Jack is dead! Face it!"_

The words reverberated in her mind. _He's dead. _ _Jack__ is dead. Face it. _It's not easy. It was never easy. She found it harder and harder everyday as her own soul desperately wanted to escape with him, with little Jack; the painful reminder to Will that his sweet Elizabeth had given herself to a pirate.

She could remember her little Jack's sweet voice, see his sweet smile, and see his wonderful sweet eyes. His skin was so soft against her cheek, his hair like silk running through her fingertips. Her breath caught for a moment and then she dispelled it with a shaky sigh. Oh those wonderful sweet memories. Everyday at the same time she walked up the hill to see his final resting place. So that they could see the false dawn rising, see the world awaken…together. Her heart caught once more as again her memories played in her head.

_"Yo ho yo ho, a pirate's life for me." Her hand rose and fell as she brushed his hair out of his eyes. She looked deep into his eyes as they stared back at her, fever burning brightly out of them. Her heart was aching for him. She desperately wanted to take the pain away, to go through this instead of him. Instead she had to wait; wait and watch, while the yellow fever took away her little _ _Jack__; the symbol of her love and the absolute light of her life. _

Elizabeth shook her head, dispelling the memories away. Resolutely she turned away from the imposing manor that she had once shared with her little family. A phrase seemed to whisper through the wind. _There is nothing left for you here._

Turning she breathed in the promise in the wind, the scent of the ocean wafting to her nose and her spirits rose as she spotted the sails of the ship she had been waiting for.

She paced her way carefully down towards the cove, with each step her heart leaping in her chest. She was sure that anyone in within close vicinity would be able to hear her beating heart and that it would give her away. After what seemed to be an interminable time, of trying to move silently through bush and scrub, she finally reached the shelly beach and she paused, her breath catching in her throat. 

Empty. There was no one here. She slumped to the ground as tears fell to the ground. No one had come. No one had answered her pleas. Silently she cried, rivulets of tears trailing down her face. She rose gracefully to her feet, picking up the tattered remnants of her soul. She almost turned around, but instead made her way to the edge of the ocean.

She gazed down at its glassy surface, staring at her reflection. From behind the reflection of herself, a stranger gazed back at her. A voice sounded low from behind her.

"Please…"

She drew the small knife she had been carrying in her belt and quickly pivoted.

"Don't do anything…stupid." She knew that voice.

" Jack? Jack Sparrow? Is that really you?" Dropping the knife, she leapt into his arms. "Oh Jack," she kissed him once and held onto him tightly, fearing he was to disappear as suddenly as he had appeared. "I knew you would come for me. I knew it!" She drew back to stare into his eyes, those wonderful kohl lined eyes. She leaned back towards him. His hands stopped her from embracing him again. She stared into his eyes, waiting for the inevitable question that would devastate this man.

" Elizabeth love, Lizzie…Lord, how I have missed ye." The back of his hand rose and stroked her cheek, tracing it as if trying to recall each and every feature and compare to see if any of it had changed. His fingers ran through her hair; hair that she had let free tonight for the first time in many years. "Still beautiful my love. Still a wondrous beauty, more glorious than any swag a pirate could plunder."

His head cocked to one side his eyes following as his fingers returned to her face and traced around her eyes, her nose, her mouth. "You've lost some shine though. Might have to polish ye up a bit." His finger traced her lips, his mouth hovering enticingly close, "Can't have that shine of yers tarnished like that eh?" His mouth moved closer until they brushed Elizabeth's.

Her eyes closed at the feel of his lips touching hers; his slowly warming hers as the kiss deepened. An image of her, no their little Jack appeared behind her lids. Her eyes prickled with tears. She didn't want to hurt this man. She knew that he had been excited at the thought of his own child, but they had agreed that a life with Will would be the better life for the child, than a pirate's one. Now she had to tell him, this brave, courageous man who had given up his child to landlubbers that it was that very sacrifice that most likely cause his child to die.

"Jack." She breathed. He stopped and pulled back. Quickly was best she decided. There was no easy way. "He's dead."

To her surprise, Jack just gathered her back in his arms; his nose nestled in her hair. "Aye Lizzie, I know."

"You knew?"

"Aye, I knew when ye came down to this beach all on yer onesies. I knew fer sure then. Before that, I had hoped that young William's letter had been falsified, perverted, spurious. He sent me a letter to Tortuga ye know. Wanted me to know that me own kin had died. Was only respectful he'd said."

Will. Will had once again tried to do what was best. Unknowing that the letter sent would cause the end of the life that he knew. Once again setting the course for her and Jack to be together. She sighed. Will had never understood her and Jack. He would never understand that sending that letter was like letters of marque to Jack, allowing him to come and take her with him once more.

She could feel this Jack, her Jack struggling with acceptance of the loss of his only child. She knew how that was. She was glad that she was no longer alone in her grief. She relaxed in his arms, feeling Jack's body pressed against hers. They stood that way for a long time, the light winds flowing around them, the moon their only light.

His voice broke the silence.

" Lizzie, are ye free to come with me now? On the Pearl. Just you and me; me and you; us. This is me – Jack – no masks, no stories – just plain ol' Jack." She knew what she wanted to say to him was 'I knew you would save me from me', but it wasn't right. Not for her Jack. His emotions shone in his dark eyes; windows that weren't tiny, but large. They were bright and held the view to his soul. She knew what to say to him.

She smiled up at him, her hand stroking the brim of his hat. 

"Nice hat."


End file.
